How to Build Credibility Online
by Craig Lock
I find this a most interesting and somewhat complex subject, as there has tobe TRUST in any business relationship before any exchange ismade. This can be quite difficult to achieve, when you have nevermet your customer (prospect) face to face in another part of thecountry...or even the world. Having been on the www over fiveyears, here are a few pointers that we find helpful in the onlinesales process:
1. Have your OWN DOMAIN NAME (not expensive - less than $20 ayear from 000Domains.com We have five of them at: www.craiglock.com www.craiglockbooks.com www.nzenterprise.com www.novelty-gift.com and www.bridgeniche.com
2. Offer GUARANTEES (money-back) on your products or services N.B:
3. Emphasise transaction SECURITY in the form of a secure paymentsystem and a secure server.
4. OFFER TESTIMONIALS
5. Have a PRIVACY POLICY for your online business. Offer aPrivacy Statement
6. Have CONTACT INFO on your web site. People then know to gethold of you, if they want further info... or if there is aproblem (they do occur from time to time, but a problem is onlyan opportunity in disguise!).
7. Offer a BRIEF BIO - a little bit about yourself and how youare qualified to offer your product or service. This builds trustin your abilities.
8. Have a FEEDBACK FORM on your web site for visitors commentsabout possible improvements... and finally and most importantly,
9. BE YOURSELF, YET BE PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR WRITING (on your website). Just be YOU, when writing script on your website or inyour ezine articles . Ensure the information is accurate - writewith absolute integrity and honesty. Also suggest using a bit ofHUMOUR in your writing. I try to use a "dollop", as I believereading a computer screen is not a very exciting pastime (exceptto "geeks"). It's also a sedentary (big word) activity; so theleast I can do for our site visitors, as a reward, is attemptinginforming and trying to entertain at the same time with doses ofmy "rather strange/wacky/ zany" humour. Hopefully it works!
10. Use proper grammar and punctuation (with the right "case")and avoid misspelling. This makes you appear to be"professional"- in your writing and in your "appearance"... andimage is EVERYTHING on the www. 11. Avoid using slang. Remember,the Internet is global and your "funny language" might offendother cultures. For example, I've learnt to avoid using the word"Yank"!
12 Send all marketing email to yourself first as a test. Checkthe layout, spelling and grammar...to see how it looks in yourprospective client's eyes - ie. on THEIR computers.
13. Think before you re-act to an abusive message. "Strike inhaste and repent in leisure (I've done that a few times - notthat I get many negative messages!). My advice...leave themessage in your "in-box" for a day. Then look at it after youhave calmed down...and decide whether it is worthy of a response- will it change anything? Perhaps the sender is just having adisasterous day and after deliberation, you can send a word ofkindly encouragement in your "carefully composed" reply. (Thesubconscious mind will help you in this). 14. Really CARE aboutpeople. We all have frailties and are vulnerable at times. Moretimes than at others. We can get all what WE want in life throughhelping other people get what THEY want (thanks Zig Zigler)...
and finally,
15. "GIVE AND THOU SHALT RECEIVE." GIVE FREE INFORMATION ... ANDYOU WILL SURELY RECEIVE FAR MORE IN RETURN. (Everybody has uniqueknowledge and expertise in certain areas - specialised skills,which can help others through SHARING). This is the basis of "theGolden Rule", the Law of Giving, which is the basis of all thereligions of the world (I think!).
Become a "busy internet marketing bee" in building your onlinecredibility.
Follow all these steps and people then will be attracted to yourweb site (and regular TRAFFIC is THE BASIS/KEY FOR/TO SALES),like bees to a honey-pot (that's a simile, by the way!).
Here's to finding your "pot of gold" at the end of the internetmarketing "rainbow".*Craig Lock
http://www.bridgeniche.com *that's a metaphor, BTW
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
More Online Business Help Articles
More By Developer Shed
 developerWorks - FREE Tools!
|
Building a software-as-a-service solution requires addressing a few key technical challenges. In this webcast, we'll focus on the role of IBM Tivoli Directory Server and WebSphere Portlet Factory in creating a Software as a Service solution. We will demonstrate how to use Tivoli Directory Server to prevent the user population of one tenant from accessing the virtual portal and portlet components of another tenant. We will also use the dynamic profile capability of WebSphere Portlet Factory to create multiple highly customized applications from one code base.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Download a free trial version of IBM DB2 9.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. DB2 9 is the result of a five-year development project that transformed traditional (static) database technology into an interactive data server that merges the high performance and ease of use of DB2 with the self-describing benefits of XML.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Visit IBM developerWorks to download IBM DB2 Express-C 9.5, a no-charge version of DB2 Express 9 database server. DB2 Express-C offers the same core data server base features as other DB2 Express editions and provides a solid base to build and deploy applications developed using C/C++, Java, .NET, PHP, and other programming languages.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Download a free trial version of IBM Rational Software Analyzer Developer Edition V7.0 to identify bug defects earlier in the software development cycle. Rational Software Analyzer is an extensible software development solution that reduces the expense of bug-fixes by enabling static analysis code reviews and bug identification very early in the development cycle.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Join this webcast to discover the key requirements for successful change and release management. Learn how to extend your .NET environment to improve productivity and collaboration, and address core problems afflicting team development. In this webcast, we’ll review typical challenges faced by customers and how to resolve them with the IBM Rational Change and Release Management solution, including Rational ClearCase, Rational ClearQuest and Rational Build Forge. Replay is available for 9 months.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Regression testing -- in which code is thoroughly tested to ensure that changes have not produced unexpected results -- is an important part of any development process. But many testing environments neglect the terminal-based applications that still form the backbone of many industries. In this tutorial, you'll learn how the Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-Based Applications works with other Rational Functional Tester to help test terminal-based applications quickly and easily.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Get a free trial download of the latest version of IBM Rational Functional Tester V7.0.1. Rational Functional Tester is an automated functional and regression testing solution for QA teams concerned with the quality of their Java, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, and Web-based applications.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Whether you are creating new applications or modifying existing ones, managing integration of new components with traditional z/OS elements is a critical part of building and deploying modern applications. Listen to this webcast to see how IBM can help you optimize your development process using an IDE like Rational Developer for System z that integrates with management tools, such as ClearCase to manage your application development on mainframes.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Attend this launch webcast with Scott Hebner, Vice President of IBM Rational Marketing and Strategy, where he will overview Rational’s new offerings and programs to help customers accelerate software innovation on System z. He will discuss how these solutions help organizations extend their core business processes toward modern architectures such as SOA and web technologies to deliver business improvements that stand the test of time.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
User communities play an important role in communication and collaboration around products, solutions and other areas of special interest to members. Successful communities are able to provide the right mix of content and services to deliver a value proposition that resonates with each audience. Join Tom Inman, VP of Marketing for Information and Platform Solutions as he introduces the new LeverageINFORMATION community. During this webcast, learn about the value provided by the community and how customers and partners derive value from the community in addressing their own technical and business challenges.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!
|
